The Great Divide (Dark Heresy IC)

[Calimos]

Severus standing near the carcass of the xenos beast, extended his perception once again in the Immaterium, in order to see if he could discern any other presence around here, perhaps resembling the one of the - now dead - beast that lay in front of him.

[Destro_Yersul]

Severus Only

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There was nothing more here, the rapidly fading warp signature of the xenos the only one like it in the vicinity. Off to the left, though, in the direction Thirtyseven was leading them, there were some signatures, all of them mercifully human.

Walking back towards the mine entrance, the small group followed Thirtyseven. The first few miners they saw ignored their approach after a quick glance to see who they were, but as they drew closer, the nearest looked again and bit back a curse upon sighting the trophy the guardsman had taken. Looking quickly away, he focused back on his work.

[LCP]

Walking up next to the miner, Samael coughed politely.

"Excuse me," he said, touching the man lightly on the shoulder - and then turning him around to face the rest of the group with just a smidgen of force. "Mine inspection. Have you seen one of these before?" he said, pointing to the creature's head.

[Destro_Yersul]

"No sir. What is it sir, if I may ask?" From the expression on the man's face, he's quite glad that whatever the thing was, it's dead now.

[LCP]

"That's what I was asking you," said Samael, levelly. "So you've never seen one of these before? Never heard of anything like it?"

[huyche]

Wondering why he hasn't come up with it himself, Thirtyseven stops by Samael's side and faces the miners.
Afterwards, Krieger unfastens the head and holds it out for miners to observe it in every detail.

[Destro_Yersul]

Shying away from the head, which continued to drip hissing blood onto the ground every so often, the miner shakes his head. "Never seen it. Nobody seen anything down here."

[goblinpaladin]

"Hrm. Any of you heard strange things, then? Rumours about... 'something' out there in the tunnels?"

[Destro_Yersul]

Shaking his head again, the miner responded. "The Darkness waits. It comes to claim us, when all the lights have gone out. It lurks in the tunnels, in the dark corners of the world, for the men who dare to intrude on it. The surface is safe, but the light that protects it doesn't reach below the ground."

The whole speech sounded suspiciously repeated, like the man had learned it somewhere and was just parroting the words.

[LCP]

"Who told you that?" asked Samael, quietly.

[Destro_Yersul]

"One of the miners. Don't know his name." The miner looked back at the wall he was meant to be hacking away at. "I should go back to work, sir. I don't want to fall behind quota."

[goblinpaladin]

"If you don't know his name, then tell us where he is, what he looks like."

[Calimos]

Severus approached the miner as well, towering upon him and looking with kindness asked him in a soft, calming voice.

"If you could please take one more moment to enlighten us further on the matter of this miner, we would be grateful good man. By helping us, you help in the Emperor's work. You wouldn't want to fall short in His service, now, would you?"

[Destro_Yersul]

"No sir, that's why I'd like to get back to work, sir. But you're right. He used to work section 18, I think. Had long hair. Haven't seen him around for a while."

[Calimos]

"You have our gratitude for your cooperation, good man and I am sure that you carry out your duties most dilligently. Would you be so kind and point us to the direction of section 18, before getting back to your work?"

[goblinpaladin]

"These men are distinctly unhelpful," Lepidus muttered (somewhat ungratefully), casting sidelong glances about the shaft.

[Destro_Yersul]

As if to prove the security enforcer's point, the miner just pointed off in the direction they had been travelling, back towards the stairs. "Down below, somewhere. That way. I can't say I know for sure."

His directions dispensed, the miner hefted his pickaxe again, turning back towards the wall and beginning to chip away at it.

[huyche]

Thirtyseven was already certain that the darkness of theirs and all that superstitious wash had a rather simple explanation, and this man here is just wasting his, inquisitorial agent's time, hindering the investigation. Blurted out something he now regrets, then babbles of quotas. He has had enough of this uncooperative rabble.

Thirtyseven approaches, his colossal figure blocking out the illumination reaching the miner completely. Before the man gets to react, Kriegsman seizes him by the scruff of the neck, raises from the ground and gives him a solid jerk. "You are coming with us to section 18," a hollow voice sounds from under the facemask.

With that he proceeds to carry the newfound lead in an outstretched hand to where they have just come from.

Spoiler

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I guess 37's menacing look is more than enough to intimidate the blabber without uttering a word?
If the miner decides to cooperate, he will be lowered and let go by himself.

[Destro_Yersul]

Jerked off his feet by the guardsman, the miner looks up at the impassive facemask. Cowed by either the skull mask or the heavy weapon Thirtyseven is carrying he says nothing, simply letting the guardsman put him back down and walking, sullenly, in the direction he had indicated. All the other miners they passed seemed to find something intensely interesting about the patch of rock they were currently working on, their impromptu guide leading them back to the stairs that would take them out of the mine were they to go up.

There were the other stairs, leading down as they remembered, but here the miner stopped.

"I'm sorry sirs," He told them, looking fearfully at Thirtyseven's gun. "I really don't know how to get to 18, except that it's down from here somewhere."

[LCP]

“You know what this man looks like, but you don’t know his name. You know where he works, but you don’t know how to get there,” said Samael, calmly. “You don’t dare shy from your work station and yet you’ve spoken with this man who works far below. Very curious.”

He looked down the gloomy stairs, seeming to break off his train of thought.

“A man could hurt himself, falling down these. Wouldn’t you agree, Thirty-seven?”

OOC:

Spoiler

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Funnily enough, Samael doesn't have Intimidate, but if anyone else wants to roll a test, consider this an assist.

[huyche]

Grenadier nods in agreement and advances, pinning the miner with what seems like a glower.

Concealment of the truth in crucial matters like this equaled to treason in his book. The fool, unworthy of the Emperor's Light, simply couldn't grasp that he will be the next in line of victims of the so called 'darkness', if the acolytes don't manage to get to the bottom of this plot.

[goblinpaladin]

"A pit this dark, and deep- I wonder if the Light Which Shines Between Stars could even reach so deep." Lepidus ran his fingers together. "I would not want to end my days in the Dark."

[Destro_Yersul]

"We have the same shift, we spoke in the chapel. After service." The miner was speaking quickly, looking over at the stairway leading down. "Everyone goes to the chapel. Everyone. I've never been to section 18."

Clanking footsteps were echoing down the nearest tunnel. One of the guards must have heard the noise.

[Calimos]

Severus held up his hand in a gesture of silence to his comrades, awaiting to see who was coming their way.

[Destro_Yersul]

Another of the armoured knights, the Baron's enforcers, clanked into view around the nearest corner, followed shortly by a second. Both stopped when they caught sight of the acolytes, Thirtyseven pinning the miner against the wall.

"What's all this, then?" The first one asked, his companion stepping up next to him. Both of the men appeared to be armed with pistols much like their erstwhile assistant of not so long ago had been, disdaining the use of more ungainly weapons in the close quarters of the mines. The one who had spoken was also carrying a small satchel that hung from a hook on his armour.

"Come on, let's hear the explanation." He looked from one acolyte to the next, waiting for them to speak.

[Calimos]

"Gentlemen", said Severus taking a step forth and stretching up to his full height, his eyes taking an ominous look as his gaze met the Baron's guards.

"Investigating the situation in your mines and putting to death one vile monster who was preying on the miners, we came across this individual who claimed to have heard rumours about a "darkness" that is about to engulf and claim all who tread beneath the surface and investigated further. Apparently there is someone spreading those rumours and he might be working in section 18 of the mine, from what this miner here has told us. Please forgive my companion for his somewhat abrupt methods of interrogation and understand that what we do is for the benefit of this world and the Imperium as a whole. Would any of you know by chance how to get to section 18, and could you please accompany us there to continue our investigation? Besides we are aware that you are responsible for the safety and proper function of the mines and it would be very helpful if you could join us".

[huyche]

Thirtyseven alters his facing to let the guards fully realize who they are dealing with here. The xenos' severed head sways imperturbably at his side.

[Destro_Yersul]

The guard waves a hand dismissively. "Superstitious nonsense, they all talk like that. You just caught one more vocal than the others." He aims a glare at the miner, who cowers even further.

"Let the man go back to work, and then you can explain what gives you the authority to investigate anything here."

His companion, meanwhile, has noticed the head hanging from Thirtyseven's belt.

"That the thing you killed?"

[goblinpaladin]

"Then tell us about this 'superstition'. It seems to be eating people, now." Lepidus gestured at the head hanging from the guardsman's belt.

[Destro_Yersul]

"If that's the source of it. The miners have always been given to believing there's dark things in the deep parts of the mines."

The guard gestured at the head. "Though, if that's what's been responsible for the increase in miners vanishing, the Baron will want to hear about it. Might even give you some sort of reward for catching the thing, but I don't presume to speak for him."

"Now then. About your authority?"